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Day: February 20, 2019

Wutip (was 02W – Northwestern Pacific Ocean)

Feb. 20, 2019 – NASA Finds Tropical Cyclone Wutip Organizing

Tropical Depression 02W has organized and strengthened into a tropical storm.

Suomi NPP image of Wutip
On Feb. 20, 2019, the VIIRS instrument aboard NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Cyclone Wutip in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. Credit: NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)

NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible image of the storm that showed bands of thunderstorms wrapping into a more organized center of circulation. 02W has been renamed Wutip.

On Feb. 20, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite provided a visible image of Tropical Cyclone Wutip.  VIIRS revealed that bands of thunderstorms were wrapping into the low-level center of circulation.

The National Weather Service in Tiyan, Guam noted that a Typhoon Warning remains in effect for Satawal in Yap State and for Puluwat in Chuuk State. A Tropical Storm Warning remains in effect for Fananu, Ulul, Lukunor, Losap and Chuuk in Chuuk State.

A Typhoon Watch remains in effect for Faraulep in Yap State. Residents of the Marianas should carefully monitor the progress of Tropical Storm Wutip.

At 10 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on Feb. 20 (1 a.m. CHST on Feb. 21) the center of Tropical Storm Wutip was located near Latitude 5.5 degrees North and Longitude 152.0 degrees East. Wutip is moving west at 13 mph. It is expected to make a slight turn toward the west-northwest with little change in forward speed over the next 24 hours. Maximum sustained winds have increased to 65 mph. Tropical storm force winds extend outward from the center up to 185 miles to the southwest and up to 150 miles elsewhere.

Wutip is forecast to intensify through Saturday possibly becoming a typhoon later today.

Wutip is forecast to pass southwest of Chuuk and Fananu and move toward Guam.

For updated forecasts, visit: https://www.prh.noaa.gov/guam/cyclone.php

By Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Oma (Southern Pacific Ocean)

Feb. 20, 2019 – NASA-NOAA Satellite Looks at Large-Eyed Tropical Cyclone Oma

Tropical Cyclone Oma is a large hurricane with a big eye. The storm appeared well-organized on satellite imagery as it moved through the Southern Pacific Ocean.

Suomi NPP image of Oma
On Feb. 20, 2019, the VIIRS instrument aboard NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Cyclone Oma west of New Caledonia in the Southern Pacific Ocean. Credit: NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)

On Feb.20, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite provided a visible image of Tropical Cyclone Oma.  VIIRS revealed a large eye surrounded by powerful thunderstorms. The JTWC noted that the system is struggling to intensify due to the large size of the eye.

The VIIRS image also showed a long band of thunderstorms wrapping into Oma’s low level center from the southern quadrant, giving the impression of a long tail. Oma is located west of New Caledonia and east of Queensland, Australia.

JTWC stated that “Animated enhanced infrared satellite imagery depicts a decaying system with limited deep convective banding over the western semicircle [and a] microwave image depicts convective banding wrapping around a broad, defined low-level circulation center.”

At 10 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) the Joint Typhoon Warning Center or JTWC noted that Oma’s center was located near 22.1 degrees south latitude and 160.6 east longitude, that’s approximately 545 nautical miles northeast of Brisbane, Australia. Oma has tracked south-southwestward. Oma is forecast to turn to the west-northwest on Feb. 24 and pass near Cato Island.

By Rob Gutro
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center